Family rule, corruption keep recurring as campaign themes

Hyderabad: Family rule, corruption, unkept promises, power, Dharani portal, question paper leaks of TSPSC exams are among some key issues that dominated the election campaign in Telangana.

While both Congress and BJP tried to target BRS over family rule, corruption and unfulfilled promises, the ruling party launched a counter attack on Congress using some controversial statements of its leaders over the issue of power supply to farmers.

A rejuvenated Congress tried to draw political mileage by accusing BRS and its friendly party MIM of being B and C teams of BJP. The Congress leaders thus tried to project the November 30 election as a fight between the Congress and the rest.

In a counter-attack, the BJP alleged secret understanding between BRS, Congress and MIM. The BRS dubbed both the national parties as partners.

BRS, which was the first to launch its campaign after declaring its candidates nearly two months before the announcement of the election schedule, focused on its achievements.

Leading the party campaign, BRS president and Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao highlighted the progress of Telangana during the last 10 years.

As someone who led the movement for statehood to Telangana and the Chief Minister of the new State for two consecutive terms, KCR is seeking a mandate to continue what he calls the State’s march on the path of progress.

He tried to highlight how Telangana emerged as a trailblazer State in the country in a short span of time. From the highest per capita income in the country to 24-hour free electricity supply for farmers and from piped drinking water for all households to numerous welfare schemes, he showcased the State’s achievements under BRS rule.

Drawing a comparison with the Congress-ruled States, especially neighbouring Karnataka and citing some statements of Congress leaders, he cautioned people that power to Congress will push the State back into darkness, political instability and chaos.

Addressing four public meetings every day, KCR also tried to strike an emotional chord with the people, saying their own party and not the ‘Gulams of Delhi’ can take better care of them.

“TRS (now BRS) took birth for the people of Telangana and after achieving its goal of Telangana State, it embarked on the journey to transform the lives of people,” he told every public meeting and reminded people of the problems that were there at the beginning of the journey.

Recalling that the State was facing problems like recurrent droughts, power shortages, distress in agriculture, farmers’ suicides and migration, he claimed that the government overcame the problems one after the other.

The party also launched a campaign on various social media platforms to depict how Telangana looked in 2014 and what it has become now.

By overcoming power shortages, ensuring 24 hour free power to farmers, completion of pending irrigation projects, especially Kaleshwaram, claimed to be the world’s largest lift irrigation project, which helped increase areas under cultivation and significantly enhanced production, and by launching Rythu Bandhu, an investment support scheme for farmers, it checked farmer suicides.